Taken By Storm
''Taken By Storm ''is the third episode of To Be The Best. Plot Declan, Leaf, and Gary are walking through a large arch, indicating their arrival in Viridian City. Pikachu is out of his pokeball on on Declan's shoulder. Overhead, storm clouds appear to be gathering. Narrator: Our hero has just arrived in Viridian City, where it seems that a big storm is beginning to brew! Raindrops start to fall as Declan and co. run through the streets. Leaf: Ah! We’ve got to find a pokemon center! Declan: Gary! Have Pidgey scout one out! Gary nods and throws Pidgey’s pokeball. The bird pokemon squawks and flies high. The group follows the pidgey until lightning illuminates the sky, quickly followed by thunder. Gary sighs and returns Pidgey. Gary: I can’t risk your safety little buddy. Declan smiles at this. Leaf: Okay but we still need a pokemon center! Gary rolls his eyes before pointing ahead, revealing a pokemon center. The group quickly dashes in as rain starts pouring heavy. Inside, the group is talking to Nurse Joy at the counter. The lobby is relatively empty, with two other trainers sitting on couches, one with a Nidorina, and one with a Jolteon. Declan: Nurse Joy, I’d like to register for the League if you don’t mind! Gary: Me too! Nurse Joy: Of course! I’ll just need some form of identification. Declan: Uh… will a pokedex from Professor Oak work? Nurse Joy: Yes it will! Declan and Gary nod and hand Joy their pokedexes. She scans their pokedexes in her machines and types into her computer. She smiles and hands them back to Declan and Gary Declan and Gary: Thank you! Leaf: We’d also like a room for the night if you don’t mind! We’d like to get out of the storm! Nurse Joy: Yes of course! I must say, I’m not quite sure where that storm came from. It’s like it came out of nowhere. The group ponders this for a second before Nurse Joy hands Declan and Leaf a room key. Gary: What about m- Declan: We’re sharing a room dummy. Gary huffs before he follows Leaf down a hallway. The storm outside rages. Gary and Declan are in a room with two beds. Declan and Pikachu are asleep on one and Gary in the other. Gary is snoring soundly while Declan is tossing and turning. His covers are half on the floor, very reminiscent of the first episode. Declan is standing in a void of solid black. There’s a white border among the frame, indicating it’s a dream. Declan looks around frantically. Declan: Wha… Hello? His voice echoes. Suddenly, a cloaked Trainer and a Charizard materialize in front of him. He flinches. Declan: Who are you? Figure: You’ll figure out soon enough. There are bigger issues at hand. Declan: Bigger issues? The figure waves his hand and a scene materializes around them. It appears to be Viridian City. The rain is pouring and thunder is heard in the distance. Declan notices a young pokemon hiding under some trash. Declan: What is it? Figure: Charmander. A young one too. He doesn’t have long. Conditions aren’t ideal for a fire lizard. Declan: What kind I do? I have to help him! Figure: Look around. It’s easier than you think. Declan looks and notices a pokemon center across the street. He recognizes it as the pokemon center he’s staying at. Declan: You mean… The figure nods. Declan bolts upright in bed. He throws on a coat and some shoes and runs out the door. Gary wakes up groggily and squints. Pikachu perks up and runs after him. Declan sprints out of the pokemon center doors and across the street. The rain is pouring and the wind is vicious. Declan finds Charmander and gasps when he sees a Raticate and three Rattata attacking the Charmander. Declan: Pikachu, use… He falters when he notices Pikachu isn’t with him. He panics until Pikachu cries out and faces the rat pokemon with sparks coming from its cheeks. Declan: Alright Pikachu, use Quick Attack! Pikachu: Pika! Pikachu, outlined in white, rushes into the Raticate at a breakneck speed. Raticate skids on the wet pavement. Declan rushes to pick up Charmander and holds him in his shirt. Declan grimaces but continues to command Pikachu. Declan: Pikachu, Thunder Shock, scare em off! Pikachu unleashes a jolt of electricity at the rattata and Raticate, prompting them to flee. Gary appears behind Declan. Gary: What happened? Declan gasps in surprise and turns around. He says nothing as he taps a pokeball to Charmander’s forehead and it clicks instantly. He closes his eyes as a tear starts to form. Gary: Declan, wha- He’s cut off by Declan hugging him. They say nothing as they walk calmly into the pokemon center, storm still raging. Two figures are on the roof of the Viridian Gym. One is a man dressed in all black. His hair is buzzed and his eyes are grey. He has a scar below his right eye. The other figure appears to be a humanoid pokemon wearing armor. The pokemon has a blue aura around it, indicating psychic abilities Pokemon: What was the point of this exercise exactly? Man: Look at the extent of your powers, my pet. Look at what you’re capable of! This storm! Imagine the possibilities! The potential of Mewtwo! Mewtwo: I see. But what is it for? What is its purpose? Man: Patience, my pet. You’ll know soon enough. Mewtwo: And what about Giovanni? Man: What about him? Mewtwo: We stand on his roof. We use his facility. Our power lies with him, but what is his role? Man: Do not worry about him. He is nothing but a plaything. He knows not of the true nature of this project. The public has an eye out for him as Kanto’s reclusive gym leader. He has an air of suspicion around him. He’s our scapegoat in case of an emergency, But none of this matters to you. You’ve never met him and never will. You may stop the storm now. I think I’ve seen enough. Without another word, the man walks off and into a door leading to a staircase. Mewtwo’s blue glows brighter and the storm subsides. In a flash of blue light, Mewtwo is gone. Only Viridian City and the night remain. Major Events * The group arrives in Viridian City * Declan and Gary register for the Pokemon League * Declan has his first vision * Pikachu reveals Quick Attack * Declan catches Charmander * Declan's Charmander is revealed to be male by dream figure * Man and Mewtwo's scene marks the first antagonist moment of the series * Nidorina, Jolteon, Raticate, Charmander, and Mewtwo are introduced for the first time Characters * Declan Perez * Leaf * Gary * Nurse Joy * Figure (Dream) * Man Pokemon * Pikachu * Pidgey (Gary's) * Nidorina (Unknown Trainer's) * Jolteon (Unknown Trainer's) * Charizard (Figure's) (Dream) * Charmander (Declan's) (Newly caught) * Raticate * Rattata (x3) * Mewtwo Trivia * This episode marks the first time Leaf's Bulbasaur and Gary's Squirtle don't appear * This is the first episode to focus on one character (Declan) instead of the group dynamic * Declan's vision is the first of many and will be explained at some point in the story. * Declan's grimace when he tucks away Charmander was explained in an interview as "deliberate" and "a major plot point that one may not expect". * This episode reveals that Giovanni (and by extension, Team Rocket) is not the primary villain in this story. * Gary's concern for his Pidgey is a callback to last episode where Declan criticizes him for not bonding with it. * This is the first episode to end without narration Category:Episodes Category:OmniDragon Category:To Be The Best